1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component carrying device, and more particularly to a device for lining up components and carrying them intermittently.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional carrying or conveying systems include a carrying system which provides downward-sloping grooves for carrying and guiding the components and drops the components using potential energy, a system using compressed air or negative pressure to convey components by air pressure, and a system comprising an unbroken belt on the bottom face of the grooves for carrying components, the components being carried by intermittently driving this belt (for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-48419). These are known systems for carrying small-scale components such as chip components.
In the drop system, static electricity or dirt on the components sometimes causes the components to snag midway, leading to a problem of poor reliability. Furthermore, in the compressed air system, although the structure of the system is simple, it is susceptible to fluctuations in air pressure, and also requires a pressure source with the consequent disadvantage of high cost. Moreover, in the belt drive system, reliability is comparatively high but the drive mechanism for intermittently driving the belt is complex, tending to have poor durability.